Dangers of Losing Weight Too Fast

With over half of all Americans trying to lose weight, some are doing it safely and effectively, while others are not. Losing weight too fast can be detrimental to your health and cause long-term problems that jeopardize your efforts to be fit.

Crash diets and advertisements that report losing 21 pounds in 21 days are flooding the market, but many yo-yo dieters are wising up and changing their ways. Americans are becoming health-conscious, despite the projected obesity rankings, and opting to change their lifestyles and eating habits to lose weight healthfully.

Dangers of Losing Weight Too Fast
While diets for fast weight loss are available, most bring on failing results. Initially you may drop several pounds within just a few days, but over the long-term your efforts may be sabotaged. Losing weight too fast poses significant problems to your health and weight loss. Below are some of the dangers associated with losing weight too fast.
• Inability to maintain the diet and weight loss
• Decrease your metabolism and metabolic rate
• More likely to binge on poor food choices, such as sweets, desserts and carbs
• Increased risk for heart disease due to drastic weight loss and the impact it has on your cardiovascular system
• Over-doing it in the gym can lead to exhaustion and preservation of fat as the body receives a message from the brain that you are in a crisis state

Most people who lose weight too quickly gain the pounds back, and then some. For every ten pounds lost in a short amount of time, most dieters gain 15 pounds back over the course of just a few weeks. Not only do they gain the weight they worked hard to lose, but gain an excess amount weight back. The next time a person decides to lose weight, the body must work harder to lose the weight. The impact is detrimental on the metabolism and causes it to slow over time. This is why yo-yo dieters who have been struggling with weight loss for decades have a difficult time finally breaking through to success.

How to Lose Weight Safely
Losing weight should be done with your health in mind, not just your appearance. Dieticians recommend a healthy lifestyle adaptation that is simple and easy to follow. When your lifestyle changes and a diet becomes part of a natural means of living, you are more likely to lose weight and keep it off. Some of the most effective strategies for losing weight include:
• Eating a variety of low-calorie fruits and vegetables, including lean protein sources that keep you satiated longer
• Drinking plenty of water throughout the day so that you do not confuse hunger with dehydration
• Removing tempting foods from your pantry and cupboards
• Preventing boredom and food cravings by implementing new and enjoyable activities
• Getting plenty of rest to better equip you for stressful situations, while decreasing emotional eating
• Eating small meals several times a day to eliminate large portions and excessive calories, while boosting the metabolism
Simple tweaks in your lifestyle can promote weight loss without doing harm to your metabolism and pursuit to get and stay fit. When your weight loss efforts become part of your daily living, they are much more manageable. Your efforts will bring about lasting results.